The Proposal
by a-lady-to-me
Summary: S2/AU - What happened the night that Bates told Anna he booked the registrar? Major fluff alert!


**A/N: This is what I imagined happened the night that Bates told Anna he had booked the registrar for their wedding. Just some fluff fluff fluff! Which I think all of us Banna lovers need right now. Enjoy! xx**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Downton Abbey or any of it's character or stories. That honor goes to Mr. Fellowes.**

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Anna sat on a crate in the back of the courtyard that night replaying his words in her head.

"I booked the registrar... Friday afternoon."

Friday afternoon. Friday she would be his wife. They would be married. She felt tears flood her eyes as she contemplated that thought. There was so much uncertainty surrounding their lives right now. With Vera's suicide, and the threat of an arrest looming around them, but through all that there was a shining light. After years of courting, and heartbreak; reunions, and stolen moments of happiness they were finally about to join their lives as one. Husband and wife forever. She let the tears fall then as a smile came across her face.

Just then she heard his familiar half step, and the click of his cane come up behind her. She quickly wiped the tears away; even happy ones would worry him, and she didn't want him to doubt for one second.

Unfortunately she wasn't fast enough. As he came to stand in front of her, he noticed a stray tear as it escaped her eye. He reached up, and tenderly wiped the tear away with his thumb. The concern was evident on his face.

"Anna, love, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

She smiled at him, and some of the tension in his face gave way to his own smile in return.

"I'm just so happy, John. I can hardly believe that we will be married in a few days time." She reached out to him, and took both his hands in her own. "After everything we've been through..."

"Everything I put you through." He interrupted, but she was quick to hush his self-deprecating attitude.

"No, John. We made it through together, and Friday we will finally be husband and wife. I might need you to pinch me several times between now and then"

They laughed together.

He pulled her up so she was standing in front of him. Slowly he reached his hand up, and stroked her cheek. She closed her eyes as he ran his hands down her cheek, along her neck, and then buried his hand in her hair. She felt his breath close to her ear, and he whispered softly to her, "for good and proper."

She felt her knees go weak as his lips grazed her earlobe. He planted soft, wet, open-mouthed kissed all along her neck making a trail up her jaw finally finding her sweet lips. Both moaned together as their lips met with a spark of passion that neither had experienced before. His hand pressed more firmly at the back of her head bringing them closer together as she opened up to him. Their tongues met each other with a longing that bordered on desperation. As his other hand slipped down to her lower back, hers raised up to his chest. Before either of them knew quite what was happening she had managed to remove his collar, and undo several buttons at the top of his shirt. Moaning into his mouth as her fingers came into contact with the soft hair of his chest. The sounds of her responding to him went straight to his arousal. His hands moved to her hips, and swiftly lifted her onto the crate behind her making them more even in height. She heard him groan as she instinctively parted her legs to allow him to stand between them.

It was as if a wall had been smashed between them. All the restraint they had shown the past 8 years. All the obstacles between them and their happiness were gone. They were free to be together, free to love each other. This knowledge made them suddenly irresistible to each other. He was everywhere around her, their hands running wild across each other's bodies. It felt like all her senses were intensified by hundreds of degrees. His lips on her neck felt like shocks shooting straight to her core. All of these new, and exciting sensations were driving her to the brink of madness.

Then she felt his hands start to run up the side of her legs, hiking up her skirts, and lighting a fire as he went. When his hands made contact with the open skin at the top of her thighs she gasped. The sound seemed to snap something in him. He practically jumped back from her leaving her suddenly cold, and gasping for air. He leaned against the wall behind him with his head looking towards the sky as he tried to regain control of his breathing.

"Anna, I am so s..."

"Don't you dare say that you're sorry John Bates!" She jumped down off the crate then, she would have none of this. He looked down at her as she approached him, and took his hands in hers.

"We are about to get married. We are free, for the first since we met, to act on our feelings." She looked down to the ground then, her cheeks turning pink. "I mean...I'm certainly no expert, but I thought that was pretty amazing. I know you are more experienced...maybe it just didn't feel the same for you?"

He sighed and placed his hands on either side of her face lifting her eyes to his. "Anna, my beautiful love, is that what you think? That I don't find pleasure in our time together? God Anna I have never in my life felt the intensity of the feelings that I feel when we are together. Never doubt that." His face blushed as well as he said, "Actually it is kind of difficult for me to hide just how much you affect me."

She looked down as he said that, and went weak when she noticed his rather prominent arousal between them. She had caused that? She felt a tiny bit of pride at that. She looked back up, and met his heated gaze. She couldn't resist leaning up and giving him a heated kiss that he broke much too soon.

"You are right, Anna, we are free now. It's making it that much harder to keep my hands off of you if I'm being honest." They giggled together at that.

She wrapped her arms around his middle and rested her head against his chest as his arms found their way around her waist.

"I feel the same way, John. I just want to stay like this forever."

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

"In a few days, nothing will be able to keep us apart my darling."

They stood there for a while content to just hold each other. After an immeasurable amount of time he began to pull away from her. She looked up and noticed the bright smile on his face. He took her hands in his own larger ones.

"There is something I have been wanting to do. Something that I wish I could have done a long time ago."

Still holding her hands he began to kneel down before her onto his good knee. Wincing slightly as he adjusted his bad leg.

"John, you don't have to..."

"Yes, my love, I do. You deserve for this to be done right" His eyes were insistent, and she didn't argue further. She couldn't help the smile that took over her features as she saw him kneeling before her. All her dreams were coming true. He took a deep breath, and met her eyes. She felt like she would drown in the warmth of his smile.

"Anna, you are the love of my life. I can say with absolute certainty that my life truly began the moment I met you. You astonish me everyday with your patience, your kindness, your unconditional love and devotion. I will spend everyday for the rest of my life loving you, and doing everything in my power to make you happy. I love you forever my beauty, my life, my Anna. Will you marry me?"

Tears were streaming heavily down her face, and she felt like she would burst with love for him. She could hardly speak.

"My John..." she choked out, "Yes."

He stood up then and gathered her up in a passionate embrace that quite possibly could have set the courtyard on fire.

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_Thank you for reading. Please review! xx_


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